As managers today, we’re all doing more with less, juggling priorities to make sure the urgent things get done while the important items aren’t forgotten, and making budget choices between the “nice to have” and the non-negotiable. Whether our economies are booming or receding, one thing remains true: there’s just never enough time or money.
But too often, these “Sophie’s Choice” decisions also mean the difference between a great brand experience and one that’s underwhelming. As we discussed in a recent blog post, Marketo’s customer engagement survey shows that over half of consumers want to advocate for companies that show they “care about me.” We all know that connecting and engaging with consumers is important, but it’s not necessarily urgent. So, it gets put on the back burner. “I’ll get around to it,” turns into “it’s not a priority this year.”
As an aside, when I was 10, I was traveling cross-country with my family when my mother found a novelty item at a truck stop. It was a circular piece of rubber with the words “Round Tuit” stamped on it. For years, whenever we’d tell her that we’d “get around to it” about one of our bigger chores or a major homework project, she’d toss that piece of rubber at us, and tell us it was time to do it. It was a great way to get us to take that first step on the project, which was always the hardest.
McKinsey & Company wrote about how to link customer experience to value in 2016, and explained that,
“There is a better way, anchored in science, fresh research, and a structured methodology. We also find that the most successful programs are self-funding — early wins remove costs from the system and simplify the business. Those savings can then fund medium-term initiatives to innovate, to change the trajectory of the customer experience, and to support some of the boldest actions. With a self-funding business case, a customer-experience program can maintain momentum and build buy-in throughout an organization.”
SPLICE Software can help you proactively contact customers via phone and SMS message at touchpoints that show a clear ROI and impact the bottom line. For example, late-payment reminders and appointment reminders. Both can be clearly measured against a pre-program baseline to demonstrate a return on investment.
Imagine the savings if your claims adjusters, mortgage originators, financial advisors, or delivery people aren’t wasting time and money on no-show appointments. Or the improved cash flow if 50% of your delinquent accounts start bringing their accounts current more quickly.
Best of all? You can get a pilot program set up and ready to run in Q1 for under $5,000*. Test it for three months, and if you’re unsatisfied with the results, simply walk away from your contract, no questions asked.
So, kitschy novelty items aside, it’s time to stop putting improved customer experience on the back burner, and start reaping the benefits. Use some of those leftover 2017 budget dollars to get your first dialog kicked off today, and take the first step toward a better customer experience that will pay for itself.
*Estimated dialog set-up fees for a new customer/program set to run in January, 2018; does not include bundled pricing for actual customer touches by phone/SMS, which are billed monthly based on estimated volumes.